


Reunited

by Sana (Sumi)



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Idiots in Love, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-12-25 00:16:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21108350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sumi/pseuds/Sana
Summary: "Pathfinder!" Reyes greeted with a warm smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Reyes the fact that you still believe yourself to be charming is a joke in itself.""Derek, are you telling me you did find me at charming at one point?" Reyes asked, officially closing the small distance between the two of them.





	Reunited

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PerishTheThought (StarSpangledBucky)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarSpangledBucky/gifts).

> Written for hydrahusbands who bid on my second offer for the 2019 Fandom Trumps Hate auction. They wanted requested a M!Ryder/Reyes fic. This is the end result!
> 
> Also, thanks to the wife for betaing this.

After a night of tossing and turning, Derek's body finally allowed him to drift off to sleep. He felt like he'd only been asleep for a few hours when his comms started beeping, in this case indicating he was getting a call. Derek pulled the pillow over his head and decided the best action was to ignore it.

Eventually, the beeping ended. Derek let out a sigh of relief, but just as he let his guard down and he began to relax, another call came in. He groaned, burrowing further under the covers.

Why couldn't everyone just leave him alone so he could sleep in? Why didn't they respect the fact that he was exhausted?

Oh yeah, because he was the Pathfinder, that's why. They needed him to lead. And now that they had settled Meridian, his work had doubled. There wasn't a moment's rest from any of it. Waffling wouldn't make the calls go away.

In the end, SAM made his decision for him by deciding to weigh in with its own two cents. "Scott, Director Tann has called twice in the last two minutes. Given his personality, the probability of him calling a third time is eighty percent."

Derek let out another groan, but this time it was one of defeats. "All right, all right. I'm getting up, SAM. Go ahead and give Tann a call while I inwardly cry about missing out yet another night of sleep."

"Pathfinder, am I to take that statement you being sarcastic?"

He managed a weak chuckle. "Yeah, I am SAM. It's one of my drama king tendencies my sister loves to talk about."

"Noted, Pathfinder."

SAM started the call once Derek began to make his way over to the comm system. He silently wished for Tann to not pick up, but unfortunately for Derek, he picked up on the first ring. It was just his luck that Tann was very eager to speak to him.

"Pathfinder, I see you finally thought fit to answer my numerous calls," Tann said over the system.

Derek resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Director Tann, what do I owe the pleasure?"

Director Tann went into a rant about some trouble on the Voeld outpost. There were thoughts it might be some Kett still remaining in the area. Others assumed it was raiders based on the things taken from the outpost. Whatever the issue, they wanted Pathfinder Ryder to go see what was going on.

After the call ended, Derek instructed SAM to call the crew together so he could speak to them. While SAM put the call out, Derek wanted to at least clean up and throw some clothes on before heading up to the bridge and letting them know about the mission.

The last thing Derek wanted to do was leave Meridian without calling Reyes first. It was hard to find a moment together with his boyfriend on Kadara. Now that the Tempest crew was to be sent on a mission, there was no way they'd get time together anytime soon.

Derek was looking forward to taking some time to go to Kadara and seeing Reyes that weekend. The disappointment hit him hard so he had to stop and take a breath. "SAM, could you give Reyes Vidal a call?"

If they couldn't see each other, then Derek wanted to at least hear his voice. The man was most likely awake. From their time together, Derek learned that Reyes was an early riser. It proved to be a bit of annoyance the few times they shared a bed.

"Yes, Pathfinder."

Reyes picked up right away. When their eyes locked, he gave Derek a wink that proved to still make him weak in the knees.

"Derek! To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Just wanted to give you a quick call before we head out," Derek said honestly, realizing he'd never fully explained why they had to leave. "Tann wants the Tempest to go to Voeld. There are some reports of weird things going on there so he wants the Pathfinder to check it out."

"I trust you'll be safe?"

The way Reyes posed the question didn't concern Derek. It was said in his usual casual manner, but the look in his eyes told a different story.

Derek grinned. "I'm always safe. Aren't I SAM?"

"Based on previous experiences, you have a 65 percent probability of facing a personal injury."

This got Reyes to laugh. "Thank you, SAM. And keep him safe."

"I will Mr. Vidal."

When they finally ended the call, Derek felt like he was missing Reyes even more than he had before. Hearing his voice certainly made him realize what he would be missing once the Tempest took off into orbit. He couldn't wait to get back to him.

"Hey SAM?" Derek asked suddenly.

"Yes, Derek?"

"Let the Tempest crew know we have to be up and running within the hour at the bequeath of our beloved Director Tann."

SAM responded right away. "Understood, Derek."

The rest of the crew seemed as excited as he was. Peebee complained the most, as well as being the loudest one out of all of them. This was normal for her so it wasn't like anyone was surprised by her actions. Derek wanted to do the same thing.

When they finally took off, Derek pushed himself back into Pathfinder mode. He wanted to stay back and spend time with his boyfriend, but Director Tann needed him and the rest of the Tempest crew to check this out. Derek hoped it was nothing serious. They'd already been through enough.

It wasn't as if he had just become Pathfinder, but it sometimes still became overwhelming for Derek. At least he no longer held the belief that his sister would have been a better choice. Sara practically threatened to beat those negative thoughts out of his head. This was also another motivator.

Derek stayed on the bridge with Kallo and Suvi. He listened to them talk, only participating here and there. His mind kept drifting back to Reyes. If Sara was here right now, she'd call him a lovesick puppy. Everything with Reyes was still so new. He figured it was normal to act like that-- to a point.

"Pathfinder, Voeld is within our sights. Would you like us to land?" Kallo asked, breaking Derek out of his thoughts suddenly.

This seemed to be a common occurrence lately.

"Yeah, bring us down Kallo. I'm ready to get this over with and get back to Meridian."

Now that Voeld was no longer a frozen wasteland, he didn't mind traveling around on the planet. He was grateful he'd no longer have to fear freezing his ass off. The rest of the crew probably held similar sentiments. Except Jaal. The cold didn't seem to bother the Angara as much.

An hour later, Derek found himself having to take back those words. He, Cora, and Peebee had found the raiders Tann spoke of and disposed of them. However, they soon became trapped themselves in a part of Voeld that still retained it's freezing quality. An avalanche caused by their shooting blocked the passage out of this cave, effectively trapping them inside for the time being.

Derek was absolutely thrilled with this situation.

"SAM, when we get back to the Tempest remind me to message Tann and tell him we took care of the threat and to go fuck himself."

Peebee laughed while Cora rolled her eyes, giving Derek an unapproving look. It was no surprise Cora disapproved. She had loosened up some during their travels together but still had her moments.

"Pathfinder, while I agree with the sentiment you hold towards Director Tann, I would advise against the last part of your message," SAM said out loud, drawing laughs from everyone but Cora. 

She seemed in a small state of shock over SAM's words. Derek wasn't surprised in the least. During the time he had SAM, the AI had certainly begun to develop its own personality. Some aspects mirrored Derek's own personality, but the other parts were entirely its own.

The minutes ticked by slowly. Luckily their suits gave them the warmth they needed, but it would only last so long. To preserve the heat generated by the suit, huddling together for body warmth was necessary. It would've gone more smoothly had Peebee not been attempting to flirt with Cora.

After two hours, they were rescued by Liam and Jaal. Derek had never been so happy to see the two. He felt his happiness grow once they were finally back on the Tempest. The nice, warm Tempest, which unfortunately was to become his home away from home.

A series of endless missions began to crop up, one after the other. Derek would finish one only to turn around and start work on some other task required of the Pathfinder. Liam once joked that a Pathfinder's work was never done. Derek was starting to believe it would never be. God help Derek if he ended up becoming a workaholic like Alec Ryder.

Throughout all of this work, Derek was forced to remain apart from Reyes. They communicated with messages and vid calls, but it just wasn't the same. He wanted to be able to touch Reyes-- in more ways than one.

Derek wondered if Reyes would get sick of the distance and eventually end things. He had no reason to think such a thing, but their relationship was still in the early phase. How much of this crap was Reyes willing to put up with until he finally had enough?

"Hey SAM, any new messages?" Derek asked one evening. 

They were finally heading back to Meridian. Derek messaged Reyes earlier that day to let him know the Tempest would heading to Kadara first. At the earliest, they'd get there the next morning. The latest could be two days from now.

"No, Pathfinder. You currently have no unread messages. I will let you know when a new one comes in if you'd like."

Derek nodded, trying not to make a big deal out of it in his head. There were plenty of reasons why Reyes had yet to get back to him. The man was running Kadara from the shadows after all. He was bound to get busy. It was similar to Derek's own duties that came with being Pathfinder.

Both of them had pressure heavy jobs. It was no wonder Derek struggled to find time to spend with Reyes. All Derek could hope for was the man getting back to him before they finally got back to Meridian.

He wasn't going to sit there and pout while waiting for Reyes to answer. That was an extremely childish thing to do. However, there was an urge to get his sister on the comm system. If anyone could calm him down then it was going to be Derek's twin sister Sara.

Then again, Sara might also shift into her big sister persona and tell him how ridiculous how he was being. It was ridiculous really. Sara was only a couple minutes older than her. She wasn't that much wiser than him because of a few lousy minutes.

"Pathfinder?"

Derek blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. "Yes SAM?"

"You have received a message from Mr. Vidal approximately five seconds ago."

"SAM how did you know I was waiting for Reyes message?" Derek asked.

"Based on previous experiences it seemed likely that you were waiting for Mr. Vidal to contact you back."

Sometimes he forgot how much he and SAM were intertwined. In the beginning, it was weird, but Derek didn't know what he would do without the AI in his head. One thing he knew for sure was that it would be to quiet without SAM.

He nodded, trying hard not to flush in embarrassment. "Well, thanks SAM."

"Your welcome, Derek."

The message Reyes sent was straight to the point. He said he was looking forward to seeing him and punctuated the end of his sentence with a winky face. After reading the message, Derek snorted. It was so Reyes.

Derek felt like it took forever for the Tempest to dock on Kadara. He sighed in relief once he exited the ship. A quick scan of the area failed to reveal any sign of Reyes Vidal. Not that he was looking for him, of course.

He was halfway off the platform when he spotted the man off in the crowd. Their eyes locked, causing Reyes to smile and wink. It was that damned wink that made Derek weak in the knees. 

"Pathfinder, your body-"

Derek winced, cutting SAM off because he already knew what it was going to say. "I know, SAM but I'm fine. My body temperature spiked because I saw Reyes. The bastard has that effect on me."

"Understood, Pathfinder."

The club was just as Derek remembered it. He walked towards the back where Reyes's private quarters were located. No one paid Derek any mind. Almost all of Kadara -hell most of Andromeda- knew Derek and Reyes were involved with one another.

Derek didn't have to make his presence known. The second he arrived in front of the door, it opened to reveal Reyes Vidal. He was standing only a foot away from Derek and it took every ounce of willpower to not throw himself at the other man.

"Pathfinder!" Reyes greeted with a warm smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Reyes the fact that you still believe yourself to be charming is a joke in itself."

"Derek, are you telling me you did find me at charming at one point?" Reyes asked, officially closing the small distance between the two of them.

It was impossible to think clearly when Reyes was this close to him. Reyes knew exactly what he was doing to Derek. In a desperate attempt to get the upper hand, Derek pulled him in for a passionate kiss.

Derek hoped the kiss might throw Reyes off guard, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. Reyes reacted quickly, pulling Derek into the room and having the doors automatically lock behind them. He did all this without even breaking the kiss he started.

How did this end up getting turned around on him? Derek clearly underestimated how much Reyes Vidal had an effect on him. He could only hope that the same went for Reyes. If Derek did have an effect on the other man than he was really good at hiding it.

When Reyes broke the kiss, Derek found himself literally at a loss for words. He blinked, unconsciously licking his lips as he struggled to gain his bearings. 

All of a sudden, Reyes let out a sound that was a mixture of a sigh and a groan. "Derek, are you trying to make me lose my mind?"

He lifted a brow, unable to resist the little smirk from making its way to his lips. "Now you know what you do to me, Vidal."

Reyes blinked and then laughed. The second kiss they shared was softer and not as urgent as the first. He only broke it because Derek was very aware of the fact that they were still not undressed.

This had to be remedied.

Derek was the one that started the process of ridding them of their clothes. The problem was that he didn’t want to break the kiss. It was easy to shrug off their jackets, but taking off any other article was going to require pulling away from one another.

"Derek, may I suggest we undress and take this more comfortable?" Reyes suggested after the two parted for air.

Try as Derek might, he was unable to stop himself from getting flustered over Reyes's words. To save face, he gave a simple nod and began to get rid of his clothes that were proving to be quite a nuisance at this moment.

During all of this Reyes was watching Derek with this hungry expressing on his face. If he wasn't already feeling so frustrated, he would've taken the time to give Reyes a show.

The second the last of their clothes hit the ground, Reyes was on him. Derek managed to stumble towards the bed, pulling Reyes with him. They tumbled onto it rather unceremoniously, but neither seemed to care. He was enjoying himself too much with Reyes to pay attention to anything else.

"Well it appears you are quite eager to see me again," Reyes murmured into his ear after palming his cock without any warning.

Derek snorted in slight amusement. "You don't need a reminder. I mean, how many times have I said I've missed you by now?"

"Enough, but a man never grows tired of hearing such words."

Reyes kept everything they would need for an encounter in his quarters. It was really no surprise given how much Derek knew about the man. He'd playfully chastise him after the fact.

The first time was fast and frenzied. After they rested for a bit, Derek pulled Reyes in for a kiss. The second time was different from the first. It was slower now, giving Reyes and Derek a chance to explore each other's bodies again.

When it was all over the two of them lay there, both attempting to catch their breath. Derek had so many things he wanted to say, but he felt perhaps they were better said once he still wasn't recovering from a mind-blowing orgasm.

"I must say it was good to see you again, Ryder," Reyes said some thirty minutes later.

Derek gave him an amused look. "So it's back to Ryder now, is it?"

Throughout all of this, SAM had remained quiet. Derek was grateful for that fact. The AI and he were connected all the time, but it didn't mean SAM couldn't 'turn off' so to speak while Derek spent quality time with Reyes.

He laughed. "Go to sleep, Derek. I suspect you've earned it given your workload as of late."

"Well I'm not one to toot my own horn, but you're right, Reyes. I definitely deserve it."

It was embarrassingly easy to let his guard down and fall asleep beside Reyes. Derek couldn't pinpoint when he started trusting Reyes so fully, but it certainly has been a while.

He was definitely in love with him, wasn’t he? It probably was a long time coming. Derek always felt a connection with Reyes that grew stronger over time. There were a few hiccups when Derek thought Reyes betrayed him, but they had moved past that.

When Derek woke up a few hours later, he found himself in bed alone. He sighed, muttering under his breath as he scanned the floor for his clothes. Reyes didn't need to stay in bed with him, but he would've liked to wake up and see his face first thing.

"Don't look so angry Derek," Reyes called out from the doorway, which quickly drew his attention. "I didn't go far."

Derek flushed. "I guess I misjudged you. Can you ever forgive me?"

He laughed, slowly approaching the bed. "I suspect that can be arranged but aren't you due back to the Tempest?"

"Mr. Vidal, the Pathfinder was due back approximately two hours ago," SAM announced out of nowhere. "I assured the crew he was fine and would be back soon."

"Thanks, SAM."

Derek reluctantly left the bed and looked for his clothes. Once Reyes smugly pointed him in the right direction, he was slow to get dressed. He truly did not want to leave Reyes so soon, but Pathfinder duty called and couldn't be put off any longer.

"Until we meet again, Ryder?" 

Reyes posed the question as he walked towards the door. It was enough to make him stop and pull Reyes into a soft kiss.

He broke it and grinned. "Is that enough of an answer for you?"

"It's difficult to tell. Kiss me again and we'll see."

Derek wasn't one to ignore such bait. He kissed Reyes until SAM informed him that his body temperature had risen considerably. This was SAM's gentle way of being a total cockblock.

"Talk to you soon, Reyes."

He had to turn around and leave right then. If he looked at Reyes, then Derek would be drawn into another moment. Derek doubted the Tempest crew would appreciate being held up for another few hours.

"SAM, let the Tempest know I'm on my way and filter out any comments Gil and Peebee might have." 

Derek knew those two wouldn't hesitate to tease him. Best to try to nip it in the bud before he got back to the Tempest.

"Yes, Pathfinder."

Thankfully SAM was on the same page as him.

~*~

It took three weeks before they could see each other again, but considering it wasn’t as long as the previous times, Derek wasn’t one to complain. However, there was some apprehension about this visit because Derek’s sister Sara had come along. She was insistent on wanting to meet Reyes and there was no way he could put it off any longer.

“So is this Reyes guy cute?” Sara asked as they got closer and closer to Kadara.

Derek’s stomach was twisted into knots. It was important for Sara to approve of Reyes and he had no idea what she was going to think about the man. Sara could be unpredictable at times so it wasn’t easy to gauge her based on reactions she had to past situations.

“I don’t know how to answer that, Sara.”

She sighed. “Yes or no is usually how it goes.”

“The man is very hot,” Gil said, speaking up from where he stood at the doorway.

Derek shot him a look. “Thanks for that, Gil.”

The Tempest crew members were not making this visit easy.

“So hot then?” Sara asked, repeating the question.

All Derek could manage was a nod as he felt a blush spreading across his cheeks. He ignored the silly grin Sara gave him and decided to focus on anything else. Like the conversation happening between Jaal and Liam. They were talking about something ridiculous, but he desperately wanted out of the conversation he was having with his sister.

Sara laughed, giving Derek's shoulder a playful shove. "Derek, don't worry. I'm sure I'll love him. You always had good taste in guys."

"Good point," Derek responded. "You have terrible taste in men and women, sis."

She gave a shrug. "Maybe I'll have better luck in Andromeda. You did."

Derek was the one to give her a playful shove this time. Things hadn't gone as planned since coming to Andromeda, but finally, there was some semblance of peace. He wondered if their father would be proud of what he'd done as Pathfinder. 

SAM assured him he would. This was something Derek found difficult to put faith in because the father he remembered was always disappointed in them. The AI knew a different side of Alec he and Sara would never get to know.

It took a few more hours for them to arrive on Kadara. By the time they arrived, Derek was a goddamn mess. He wanted Sara and Reyes to meet, but the anticipation might literally kill him before it even managed to happen.

"Derek as your big sister I'm ordering you to calm down," she told him once they exited the Tempest.

He huffed. "I'm the Pathfinder so shouldn't I be the one doing the ordering?"

"Yes, but I'm the older sister. This gives me jurisdiction over you."

Derek snorted. He knew Sara was joking, but a small part of her would always want to play the 'big sister's card. It was her right.

They went straight to see Reyes. Sara said 'fuck it' to the tour. She wanted to meet his boyfriend, she said. Derek started to bring Sara to Reyes's usual residence, but to his surprise, the man met them in the Kadara market.

"You must be Sara Ryder," Reyes said as he approached them.

He didn't look nervous at all. Derek wasn't sure if that made him feel relieved or even more nervous. Reyes had a way of always playing it cool. Whether he really felt that way or not.

Sara slowly looked Reyes up and down. "And you must be Reyes."

She looked over at Derek and wiggled her eyebrows. It was enough to make Derek sigh. He knew what that meant. Sara thought Reyes was 'hot' as she eloquently put it.

Derek really hoped Reyes didn't see Sara wiggled her eyebrows. The man might try to push back with some winking of his own.

"Do I pass the Ryder twin test?"

"For now," she said. "Hurt him and it'll be a completely different story."

Derek groaned. "Sara, I really don't need you to give my boyfriend she shovel talk. It's not necessary… like ever."

They had some lunch together before Sara made an excuse to go see what Vetra was up too. It was clear to everyone that Sara was crushing on Vetra. He wasn't a hundred percent positive, but Derek figured the feelings were mutual. 

Trying to deconstruct a Turians facial expressions were never easy. It wasn't like Jaal's face, which was overly expressive. He didn't think he had yet to meet an Angara that was subdued. Perhaps Evfra, but that was the only one that came to mind.

Once they were alone, Reyes dropped the facade. "Be honest with me, Derek. Do you think she likes me? I am having a difficult time telling if your sister holds no ill will towards me."

Derek laughed. "Reyes, I don't think I've ever seen you unsure of yourself. I have to admit I like this side. It makes you seem more human."

"Yes, well these are special circumstances," Reyes insisted. "You still have yet to answer my question."

"Reyes, she likes you. Trust me. I wouldn't lie to you about something like this."

The answer seemed to satisfy Reyes. He pulled Derek into a deep kiss, making him forget about everything else. Reyes truly did have a talented tongue.

Reyes broke the kiss with a chuckle. "How much time do you have?"

"A couple hours," Derek admitted.

He wished they had longer, but for now, this was going to have to be good enough. Unless Derek stopped being the Pathfinder and Reyes the charlatan. Both of which couldn't happen for multiple reasons.

Derek avoiding getting dressed until the last minute. He kisses Reyes desperately, wanting to make it last as long as possible.

"Until we meet again, Ryder."

They parted with a heavy heart and more than a few passionate kisses. When he returned to the Tempest, Sara was there waiting for him. She walked up to him with her arms held out. He didn't hesitate and took the offer for a hug.

"It'll be okay little brother," Sara assured him. "Just wait. It'll work out in the end."

Derek snorted. "Since when are you so optimistic?"

She shrugged. "It's a work in progress but I think it's starting to take."

He wasn't sure if he could muster up that much optimism, but he appreciated Sara's attempts to make him feel better. It was a very sisterly thing for her to do.

By the time Derek made it back to Meridian, he and Reyes had already made plans to see each other again by the end of the month. It seemed like a long way away, but Derek figured all the paperwork Tann had piled up for him would keep him busy for a while. 

How was it possible for this much paperwork to build up in such a short amount of time?

The one good thing about being back in Meridian was that he could spend more time with Sara. Before they left for Andromeda, their relationship was strained. He was always excusing their father's behavior which only proved to piss Sara off.

Alec and Sara never got along. She was hard-headed, never letting their father pushed her into doing what he wanted. The only reason Sara came to Andromeda was because of Derek. He begged her, not wanting their small family to be broken up any more than it already was.

Reluctantly, Sara agreed and here they were. It hadn't worked out quite as Alec planned, but somehow they had made Andromeda a home.

Derek found it extremely easy to bury himself into work. He was going for a week straight when SAM 'suggested' he stop.

"SAM, why did that sound more like a threat rather than a suggestion?" Derek asked, unsure of what SAM was trying to do.

"I apologize Derek, but yes. That was my intention."

He had to laugh. "SAM, I swear you're becoming more human by the day."

After some thought, Derek decided to take SAM's suggestion. He threw his datapad onto the other side of his bed and climbed off. Chances were SAM was right. Working himself to death wasn't going to take his mind off Reyes. Somehow the two of them had to figure out how to make the long-distance thing work. Before Derek would've had his doubts, but he had more faith that the two of them could do it.

When Derek's doors opened for him to leave, he might have guessed someone would be on the other side. He was the Pathfinder, afterall. It might be Cora or one of the other members of the Tempest looking for him to relay some information, or get his opinion on something. But the last person Derek expected to see brighten his doorstep was Reyes standing there with that little smile on his face.

Derek stopped in mid-stride, open-mouthed and silent.

"Cat got your tongue, Ryder?" Reyes teased as he closed the distance between them.

Derek blinked. "Don't get me wrong, Reyes. I'm happy to see you but what the hell are you doing on Meridian?"

"That is a long story."

Turns out, Reyes would be representing Kadara on Meridian. He claimed the move had been in the works for weeks. Derek could see beyond the facade but played along.

The two stumbled to the bed without knocking anything over in the process. Derek ended the kiss only to silently ask SAM to make sure the doors to his quarters were locked.

He also wanted all messages and calls to be held off for the time being. Derek had a chance to celebrate his boyfriend's new job. There wasn't anything that was going to ruin this moment-- not even the Kett.


End file.
